Monday, June 15, 2009

This is a song from the folklore of Syria. A howdah is a large saddle for a camel or elephant that has a carriage to protect the passenger (see photo). I don't actually know the story of the song, but it seems like a girl was kidnapped while riding on a camel. As to the specifics, in Syrian and Turkish folk songs, Ottoman soldiers kidnapping women is a theme that comes up from time to time, and that would be my guess as to the idea of the song. This main verse is the core of the song but of course there are usually additional verses that vary. Anyone who happens to have additional information that would be greatly appreciated.

Sabah Fakhri - Under Her Howdah

Under her howdahWhile we foughtSwords were drawnOh woe is meOh woe is meThey took my love and went northThey went afar, went afarHow can I fly when I have no wings

Egyptian Arabic Course

Hey guys, I've launched a new Egyptian Arabic online course in the blog format using exclusively songs to help learners of Arabic bridge the gap between their knowledge of Standard Arabic and Egyptian dialect. Check it out here.